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With more than 140 degrees to choose from, UALR offers its students the opportunity to learn from top-ranked faculty and provides invaluable internship opportunities in several in-demand career fields.

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The Community Connection Center represents a vital part of UALR's mission - building high-impact programs and partnerships that inspire students to become active citizens, change agents and leaders in our community.

About the Center

Center Staff

Linda Dorn is a Professor of Reading Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where she coordinates the Educational Specialist, Doctoral, and Graduate Certificate in Reading programs. She is the founder and lead trainer for the Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy Model and the Comprehensive Intervention Model. In1999 she received the University Faculty Excellence Award for her work in research and scholarly activity. Linda is a Reading Recovery Trainer, and is past president of the Board of Directors for the Reading Recovery Council of North America. At the state level, she has testified to legislative and state agencies on literacy instruction, and her work has been influential in shaping educational initiatives in the state. She has presented at over 300 state, national, and international conferences, including keynote addresses and featured sessions. Her publications include 7 books, book chapters, media publications, journal articles, and teaching materials. Her latest publications are Apprenticeship in Literacy, 2nd edition, co-authored with Tammy Jones, (Stenhouse)) and Interventions that Work: A Comprehensive Intervention Model for Preventing Reading Failure, co-authored with Carla Soffos (Pearson). Linda is currently conducting research with the University of Maine on the effects of layered interventions on the reading acceleration of low-performing students.

Janet Behrend is a Reading Recovery Trainer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has an EdD in Educational Administration, an EdS in Reading Education, and a Master’s in Reading Education. She has served as chair of the Teaching and Professional Development Committee of the North American Trainer Group for the past 4 years, chair of the membership committee of the Reading Recovery Council of North America, and is currently president-elect of RRCNA. Prior to coming to UALR, she worked at the Kansas City, MO School District as a classroom teacher, Title I teacher, and a district resource teacher for the Reading Dept., the Staff Development Department and for traditional (non-magnet) elementary schools. Her research interests include teacher change, emergent writing development, and the use of technology in professional development of teachers.

Barbara Schubert is a Reading Recovery Trainer and Comprehensive Literacy Coach for UALR affiliated sites in Wyoming and Washington State. She has a PhD in International Studies, a Master’s in Administration and Supervision, a Master’s in Reading Education, and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education. She is the author of cross-cultural books and materials for classroom use and has researched and developed global curriculum materials for Stanford’s Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education, the Bay Area Global Education Program, the California international Studies Project, Korean Educational Development Institute, and the Asia Society. As a recipient of Fullbright-Hayes Fellowships, Barbara has studied literacy education in Nigeria, West Africa and in China. Grants from the U.S. and Korean Businesses, Project Interchange, West German Marshall Fund, and from the Charles von Lowenfeldt Foundation provided opportunities for Barbara to study educational systems in Korea, Israel, Western Europe, and in Japan. In the U.S., Barbara served as an evaluator and examiner for the Teacher Assessment Project funded by the Carnegie Corporation at Stanford University with Dr. Lee Shulman as the principal investigator, and as the liaison to the Colonial Williamsburg Project for the Santa Clara County Office of Education for many years. She has received the California Reading Association Medal of Honor and the Meritorious Service Award from the Santa Clara County Reading Council, and the Margaret Lynch Exemplary Service Award from the California Reading Association where she also served as President. Her current research interests include studying literacy processing systems and neuroscience.

Susan Perry is a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader and Literacy Specialist the UALR Center for Literacy. She has a doctorate in Higher Education, an Educational Specialist degree in Reading Education, and a Master’s in Special Education. She has a wealth of teaching experience, including special education teacher, literacy coach, and intervention teacher. In 2007, Susan received the Innovation in Teacher Education Award from the Southwest Regional Association of Teacher Educators; in 2011, she and Janet Behrend received a grant from the Reading Recovery Council of North America to conduct research on the influence of writing on the reading acceleration of low performing students. In 2013, Susan earned her National Board Certification in Literacy. Her research interests include the effects of writing on reading acceleration and methods for teaching children with dyslexia.

Stephanie Copes has an Educational Specialist degree in Reading, a Master’s in Early Childhood Education and is currently completing her doctoral coursework for a PhD in Reading Education. She serves as a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader and a Literacy Specialist for Arkansas schools. Stephanie has presented at state, regional, and national reading conferences and has served as a national senior literacy consultant with Benchmark Educational Company. She has over 22 years of experience working with children, literacy coaches, teachers, and administrators in comprehensive literacy practices. Her research interests include (a) examining the effects of varying levels of metalinguistic awareness on children’s ability to benefit from the various types of vocabulary instruction and information about words, (b) the effects of instruction that promotes word consciousness on students’ vocabulary growth, and (c) the role of the teacher in fostering writing development.

Carla Soffos is a University Clinical Coach for the Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy (PCL) model and the Comprehensive Intervention Model (CIM). Carla has a Master’s degree in Reading, plus graduate hours as a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader and literacy coach. She has over 25 years experience in education, including classroom teacher, intervention specialist, and literacy coach. Carla is nationally recognized for her work in comprehensive literacy and her co-authored publications with Linda Dorn. She has collaborated with school districts across the United States on implementing a comprehensive literacy approach for school improvement. In her current role as a university clinical coach, Carla provides tailored support for PCL and CIM schools across the country, including the use of technology for live observations and coaching support. Her research interests include studying the effects of layered interventions on reading acceleration and using technology for scaffolding teacher learning.

Virginia (Ginny) Harford is a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader and Literacy Specialist in the UALR Center for Literacy. She holds a Master’s degree in Reading, plus post-graduate certificates in Reading Recovery and the Comprehensive Intervention Model. She has 30 years experience in education, including 11 years as a Teacher Leader in upstate New York. Ginny has taught courses in literacy interventions at State University of New York, worked with middle school struggling readers at State University NY Reading Clinic, provided ongoing professional development to teachers in research-based literacy practices, and collaborated with NY schools in implementing a comprehensive literacy approach for school improvement. Ginny’s research interests include studying the effects of the Comprehensive Intervention Model on the reading acceleration of low-performing students.

Dana Autry is a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader and Literacy Specialist in the UALR Center for Literacy. She has an Educational Specialist degree in Reading Education, Master’s in Reading Education, and Literacy Coach Graduate Certificate degree. She has 16 years experience in education, including classroom teacher, Reading Recovery teacher, and Literacy Coach. Dana has presented at state, regional, and national reading conferences, and has served as a literacy consultant to schools in several states in the implementation of a comprehensive literacy model. She was featured in 3 professional video publications and in two texts on literacy education. Currently, Dana is the Vice President of the Arkansas Reading Association.